Valve for pneumatic-actions for musical instruments.



PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

A M. S. WRIGHT. VALVE FOR PNEUMATIC ACTIONS EOE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

' APPLIOATION FILED JULY 8. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Ifiz/emfbz: 2 4 522 is 5. ZL/fifif Patented September 6, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS S.- WRIGHT, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE FOR PNEUMATIC-ACTIONS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,424, dated September 6, 1904.

Application filed July 8, 1902. Serial No. 114,727. (No model.) I

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORRIS SlVRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at VYorcester, in the county of \Vorcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Valves for Pneumatic-Actions for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, in which Figure l is aview in section of my improved valve and connected mechanism. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation, and Figs. 3, 1, and 5 are views of theparts of the valve dismembered.

Similar reference-figures refer to similar parts in the different views. 1

The object of my present invention is, first,

' to provide an all-metal construction as contradistinguished from the wooden construction commonly employed in instruments of this character.

A second object is to provide a valve of such construction that it may be easily and quickly taken apart for cleaning, adjustment, or repair or renewal of parts.

A third object is to provide a valve of such form and construction that it will collect and admit as little dust and dirt as possible.

Finally, it is an object to so arrange and construct the various parts of the invention that access maybe readily gained to them and their separation and adjustment or assemblage effected with the utmost facility without in any wise disturbing the other parts of the mechanism.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes a vacuum-chamber made entirely of metal, preferably in the present invention in the usual form, and adapted to extend throughout the length of the instrument or as is customary in these pneumatic-actions.

From the vacuum-chamber the usual suction-pipe 2 is arranged to connect with a pump (not shown) for exhausting the air from the vacuum-chamber. This chamber is adapted to form support for a series of valves operating in connection with it, and formed vertically at intervals through this chamber 1 are openings 3 3, adapted to receive my improved valves. These valves are all just alike, and preferably made entirely of metal in several parts, and one of them will now be described, reference being had especially to Fig. 1, which shows the several parts in section.

A cylindrical shell 4 is fitted to the opening 3 and is slightly greater in length than the depth of said chamber. This cylindrical shell is screw-threaded internally at its upper end, as at 5, and at some point, preferably immediately below the screw-threads, holes 6 6 are made through it into the vacuum-chamber to establish communication between said chamber and the interior. of the cylindrical shell. The lower end of the cylindrical shell is adapted to protrude beyond the bottomof the vacuum-chamber and has an outturned ledge 7. To this ledge the primary pneumatic 8 is fitted, and this primary pneumatic may be variously constructed, it usually comprising two sections secured together, as illustrated, with a diaphragm 9 held at its outer edges between them, and to render the joint between the primary pneumatic and the vacuum-chamber airtight a gasket 10 is interposed between them.

A plug 1 1, (see Fig. 3,) having a hollow bore 12 extending entirely through its axial center, is provided with screw-threads 13, adapted to screw into threads 5 of the cylindrical shell 4. This plug has a circumferential flange 14 at the top with a milled outer edge 15, and the lower surface 16 of this flange is turned perfectly smooth and true and clamps between it and the top of the vacuum-chamber a ring 17, (shown in detail in Fig. 1,) and in order to make the joint between this ring 17 and the vacuum-chamber air-tighta packing 19 is interposed between the two. Orifices 2O 20 are made in the restricted center of the plug 11, through which communication is had from the chamber 21, formed between the restricted center of the plug and the ring 17, into the bore or center 12 of the plug. From this of the ends immediately adjacent to the bore are rounded to form valve-seats 23 and 24. Valve-stem 25 (see Fig. 5) is centered in the bore 12 of the plug by means of guides 26 26. On the stem two valves are secured, the external valve 27 at the top, which has a packing 28. adapted to engage valve-seat 23, and the internal valve 29 within the chamber beneath the plug and which has a packing 30, adapted to engage the seat 24. These valves 27 and 29 may be held by friction or otherwise upon the valve-stem. The valve-stem rests at its lower end in a socket 31, into which it is preferably screwed, and this socket rests freely upon the diaphragm 9.

From the chamber below diaphragm 9 in the primary pneumatic the usual pipe 32 leads to the tracker-board 32, Fig. 1. Ordinarily this pipe is made largely or wholly of wood or rubber. I propose to make it of brass tubing or of other metal, and in order to make it detachable it is threaded at one end and screwed into the bottom of the primary pneumatic, as at 33, and at the opposite end is screwed into an elbow 34. A pipe 35 is provided with a screw-threaded nipple 36, which extends through holes in the top and bottom of the chamber 37 and screws into the elbow 34:, and to make the joints air-tight gaskets 38 38 are placed above and below the chamber. A vent-opening 39 is made in the nipple 36 into chamber 37, and chamber 37 is connected and in communication with vacuumchamber 1. Tube 40 leads from the trackerboard 32 and is joined to the upper end of pipe 35 by a coupling 41, screwing onto the threads 42 on the upper end of said pipe.

From the foregoing it will be seen that all of the parts may be easily separated without reference to the connection between other parts of the invention, so that any repairs necessary for the cleaning out of a part may be accomplished without interfering in any way with the other parts of the mechanism. For instance, supposing it is desired to clean the valve or to put in new packings,diaphragm, or what not the plug 11 is unscrewed. By so doing all of the other parts of the valve-casing are rendered removable, the plug operating to clamp them when screwed into the cylindrical shell 4 rigidly together. In like manner the pipe 35 and tube 40 may be disconnected from each other by simply unscrewing the coupling 41, and access may be had to the chamber 37 to clean the vent 39, for instance, or to put in new gaskets 38 38 by merely unscrewing thepipe 35. In short, I have planned to make all of the parts of this metallic construction separable at will, and in that way it is possible to repair or clean an instrument in a greatly-reduced period of time and without tearing it entirely to pieces, which has been an objection heretofore in the construction of instruments of this class.

- It is unnecessary to describe the action of the valve, as musical instruments of this nature are thoroughly understood, and the present invention is a detail in mechanical construction merely and has nothing to do with the vacuum creation or, in fact, any of the intricacies of pneumatics forming an essential part of this variety of instruments. In operation it will suifice to say that the action of the two valves 27 and 29, located as they are upon a common valve-stem, must be successive and not synchronous; but the momentary lapse of time between the seatings of the two valves is so trifling that the action is to all intents and purposes, or at least for the purposes of the present invention, practically simultaneous.

What I claim by my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A valve mechanism comprising a suitable support, a shell extending therethrough, a'

chamber at one end, a hollow plug closing the opposite end of said shell and having a groove therein in communication with its hollow center, a ring covering said groove, a valve-stem centered within the plug and capable of sliding therein, and valves carried by the stem at each end of the plug, substantially as described.

2. A valve mechanism comprising a suitable support, a shell extending therethrough, a chamber at one end, a hollow plug closing the opposite end of said shell and having a groove therein in communication with its hollow center, a ring covering said groove, a valve-stem centered within the plug and capable of sliding therein, and valves carried by the stem at each end of the plug, and a diaphragm arranged to determine the operation of the valves, substantially as described.

3. A valve mechanism comprising a suitable support, a shell extending therethrough, a chamber at one end, a hollow plug closing the opposite end of said shell and having a groove therein in communication with its hollow center, a ring covering said groove, a valve-stem centered within the plug and capable of sliding therein, and valves carried by the stem at each end of the plug, a diaphragm arranged to determine the operation of the valves, and an outlet leading from the chamber in the plug, substantially as described.

4. A valve mechanism comprising a hollow support, a shell extending therethrough and in connection with the interior of the support, a plug detachably connected with the shell, said plug having a hollow bore through its axial center, a chamber at each end in connection with the bore, and a pair of connected valves adapted to be seated at opposite ends of the plug, substantially as described.

5. A valve mechanism comprising a hollow support, a shell extending therethrough and in connection with the interior of the support, a plug detachably connected with the shell, said plug having a hollow bore through its axial center, a chamber at each end in connection with the bore, and a pair of connected valves adapted to be seated at opposite ends of the plug, and a flexible diaphragm in position to control the operation of the valves, and an outlet from the chamber at the outer end of the plug, substantially as described.

6. A valve mechanism, comprising a shell, a hollow plug detachably connected therewith and having its upper end projecting above said shell, a flange supported by the upper end of said plug and overlapping said shell, valveseats at each end of said plug and a pair of connected valves adapted to engage said valveseats, substantially as described.

7. A valve mechanism comprisinga vacuumchamber, a cylindrical shell inserted therethrough and in connection therewith, a primary pneumatic located at one end of the cy lindrical shell, a plug having a hollow bore through its longitudinal center, and adapted to close the other end of the cylindrical shell, said plug having an annular groove therein in connection with the hollow bore, a ring covering said groove, and a pair of valves connected through the bore and adapted to engage seats at the opposite ends of the plug, substantially as described.

8. A valve mechanism com prising a vacuumchamber, a cylindrical shell inserted therethrough and in connection therewith, a primary pneumatic located. at one end of the cylindrical shell, a plug having a hollow bore through its longitudinal center, and adapted to close the other end of the cylindrical shell,

said plug having an annular groove therein in connection with the hollow bore, a ring covering said groove, a pair of valves connected through the bore and adapted to engage seats at the opposite ends of the plug, and pipes leading from the primary pneumatic and from the chamber in the plug. substantially as described.

9. The combination with a vacuum-chamber having a hole formed vertically therethrough, a cylindrical shell fitted to the hole and extending therethrough, said shell having means of communication from its interior to the vacuum-chamber, and a primary pneumatic clamped by the lower end of the shell to the bottom of the vacuum-chamber, of a plug having a hollow bore through its axial center, said plug closing the upper end of the cylindrical shell,'the plug having an annular groove formed therein above the vacuumchamber in communication with its hollow bore, a ring covering said groove, a valvestem resting upon the diaphragm in the primary pneumatic and extending through the hollow bore of the plug, and valves on said stem adapted to engage the ends of the plug, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a vacuum-chamber having a hole therethrough, a cylindrical shell fitted to said hole and provided with an openlng from its interior into the vacuumchamber, and a primary pneumatic connected with one end of the cylindrical shell, of a threaded plug having a hollow bore i ormed inits axial center opening at its inner end into the primary pneumatic and at its opposite end to the outside air, said plug having a circumferential flange at its outer end. a ring interposed between this flange and the vacuum-chamber so that the plug when screwed into position clamps said ring and primary pneumatic to opposite sides of the vacuum-chamber, a chamber formed within said ring in connection with the bore of the plug, a valve-stem supported on a diaphragm in the primary pneumatic and extending through the bore of the plug and having valves thereon at opposite ends of the plug, substantially as described.

11. The combination of a vacuum-chamber having alined holes in its opposite sides, a cy lindrical shell inserted in said holes, a plug, a primary pneumatic, a valve-stem, guides for said valve-stem and valves carried by said valve-stem, said parts all being detachably connected together, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a vacuum-chamber, a primary pneumatic connected therewith and a pipe, of a vent-chamber in connection with said pipe, a pipe having a threaded nipple with a vent therein, said threaded nipple adapted to screw through the chamber into an elbow and an elbow which connects the chamber with the pipe leading from the primary pneumatic, substantially as described.

13. The combination with a vacuum-chamber, a primary pneumatic connected therewith and apipe, of a vent-chamber in connection with said pipe, a pipe having a threaded nipple with a vent therein, said threaded nipple adapted to screw through the chamber into an elbow and an elbow which connects the chamber with the pipe leading from the primary pneumatic, a pipe leading from the tracker-board, and a coupling connecting said pipe removably with the pipe having the nipple thereon, substantially as described.

14. The combination with a tracker-board, i v

a pneumatic-chamber, a vent-chamber, a pipe connecting said tracker-board and said pneumatic-chamber and passing through said ventchamber, said pipe having an opening into said vent-chamber, substantially as described.

15. The combination with a vacuum-cham ber having alined holes in its opposite sides, of a shell passing through said holes, a pneumatic-chamber at one end of said shell, a gasket between said pneumatic-chamber and said vacuum-chamber, and means for compressing said gasket to form an air-tight connection between said pneumatic. and said vacuum chambers, substantially as described.

16. The combination of a vacuum-chamber having an opening in one of its sides for a cy lindrical shell, a shell inserted therein, a pneumatic-chamber supported by the lower end of threaded plug entering the upper end of said screw-threaded shell and having a flange overlapping said vacuum-chamber, and an elastic packing beneath said flange, substantially as I5 described.

Dated this 1st day of July, 1902.

MORRIS S. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

RUFUS B. FOWLER, VERNON E. HODGES. 

